Plant irrigating and feeding device



Feb. 7, 1939. R. B. KINGMAN PLANT IRRIGATING AND FEEDING DEVICE FiledMay 21, 1937 r 2 smug-sheet 1 R. B. KINGMAN PLANT IRRIGATING AND FEEDINGDEVICE Feb. 7, 1939.

Filed May 21, 193'? v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M/UZ W T ll/2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

J w mm? w 4 Patented Feb. 7, 1939 i This invention relates to animproved means for irrigating and feeding growing plants; and theinvention has reference, more particularly, to a novel device adapted tobe inserted in the soil adjacent'to the roots of a growing plant; the

device being provided with internal saturable means to both holdmoisture and a fertilizer. constituent subject to exudation to-thesurrounding soil and plant roots in the vicinity thereof.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel. construction ofdevice for the purposes mentioned comprising a hollow conical bodyhaving emission openings in the wall thereof, said,

openings facing outward preferably from one side thereof, a filling ofsaturable interstitial or porous material filling the interior of saidbody to serve as a carrier for moisture or fertilizer constituent or iboth, and a capping element to close the mouth of said body, saidcapping element comprising a-cup or basin like reservoir to. contain areserve supply of water to replenish the interior filling material.

'The invention has for another object to provide in operative assembledrelation to the conical body an upstanding plant support member, alsousable to assist in handling the device when insertingthe same in thesoil adjacent to a'plant.

The invention also has for a further object to v provide a rounded apexor terminal end for the conical body, whereby the roots of a plant arenot subject to risk of injuryduring-the .operation of p inserting thedevice into the soil adjacent to a g growing plant. 3

, Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same. v

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are shown in theaccompanying drawings,

in which:- v

Fig. l is an elevationalview of one formof the novelplant irrigating andfeeding device according to the invention, the same beingshown asinserted in the soil adjacent to the roots of a plant desired to beserved thereby.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the device of Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a top end view of the same; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal crosssection thereof, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 2. I Fig. 5 is a sideelevational view of a modified form of the novel plant irrigating andfeeding device; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section through thesame; Fig. '7 is a top end view, and

- Fig. 81s a bottom end view of the same.

- Similar characters of reference are emp y d in the abovedescribedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

' Referring to Figs 1 to 3 inclusive, the novel irrigating and feedingdevice as therein shown, comprises a conical body member Iii made of asuitable sheet material, such e. g. as sheet metal. When thus made ofsheet material, the lower tapered extremity of the body defines a smallopen end ii within which is afiixed an end plug I! the exterior endportion iii of which is of a contour to fiushly Join the exteriorsurfaces of the body, and said exterior end portion is of rounded orsemispherical conformation, thus providing a blunt extremity. Theprovision of such blunt extremity offers assurance against possibleinjury to plant roots when the body is thrust downwardly into the soiladjacent thereto. Said endplug I! may be'formed by solder dropped intothe body end opening ll so as to have an exterior portion subject tobeing rounded off to produce the rounded or blunt external portion. Itwill be understood, however, such rounded or blunt external portion-maybe produced in any other way found to be expedient.

The wall of said body member iii, in the region of at least one sidethereof, is provided with a plurality of suitably disposed and groupedoutlet openings H. Preferably these openings ll are of slot-like formand spaced apart in transverse rows, with the rows thereof verticallyspaced along thebody member. It is also preferable to have theopeningsor slots ll of one row disposed in staggered relation to those ofadjacent rows, although this is not essential.

The interior of the body member is filled with v a mass of saturable orabsorbent material l5 1 will provide a multiplicity of voids orinterstices into which can be charged a suitable fertilizer constituent,preferably of soluble character so as to be capable of combining withwater for discharge or emission from'the body member when the latter isin use. The packing may consist of wads of fibrous material, moss, andthe like, or it may consist of pieces of natural or artificial sponge. Ideem the sponge to be best adapted for the'purpbse, not only by reasonof its ability to absorb and hold a very considerable volume of water,but also by reason of the fact that the numerous openings or voidscontained therein and dispersed therethrough provide a multiplicity ofstorage chambers well adapted to receive and hold asuitable fertilizerconstituent, the latter 6 being indicated in the drawings by thereference character Hi.

The open top end of the body member I is closed by a capping element l1comprising a downwardly depressed cup-like formation adapted to form anupwardly or outwardly open reservoir basin l8. Said capping element i1is provided around its periphery with a laterally or outwardly offsetskirt flange l9 which is telescopically engageable over the freemarginal portion 20 of the body member ID, whereby said capping elementis engaged in operative assembled relation to the upper end of said bodymember. Formed in the bottom of said reservoir basin l8, to communicatewith the interior of said body member III, are openings 2| of anysuitable shape.

It is sometimes desirable to associate with the body member lilandcapping element I! a rod or stick 22 to upstand therefrom above theground level of the soil into which the body member is inserted, wherebythe upper free portion of said rod or stick 22 may be utilized as asupport to which the adjacent plant served by the device may be securedand thereby sustained in desiredupstanding position. To engage andsupport said rod or stick 22 in assembled relation to the body memberand capping element, the latter is provided with a central perforation23, through which the lower end of the rod or stick is passed to extenddownwardly through the interior of the body member ID, with the lowerextremity of the rod or stick 22 footed within and embraced by thetapering walls of the body member adjacent to the bottom apex thereof.By such mode of attachment the rod or stick 22 will be firmly held indesired upstanding relation to the body member l0, and secure againstlateral wobbling or swaying. In addition to its functional service as aplant support, said rod or stick 22 may also be used as an aid inpushingthe body member l0 into the soil at a desired place of use.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, and as above described, the novelplant irrigating and feeding device may be made of sheet material, suchas sheet metal. It will be obvious, however, that the device may also bemade of other materials. For example, in Figs. to 8 inclusive, thedevice is shown in a form produced by molding the same from a suitableplastic material, such for example, as a synthetic resin or phenoliccondensation product. In such case, the device comprises a hollowconical body member 24 having a rounded apex or bottom terminal 25.Formed in the wall of the body member area plurality of laterally spacedlongitudinal slots 26 extending for a suitable distance intermediate thetop and bottom ends of the body member. These slots 26 preferably faceoutwardly from one side only of the body member. The lower ends of theslots 26 terminate in downwardly extending channels 21 parallel to thevertical longitudinal axis of the body member. These channel terminalspermit the drawing of the molded body member from the mold in which itis formed.

The interior of the body member 24 is also filled with the mass ofsaturable or absorbent material I 5 packed firmly therein, andpreferably comprising pieces of natural or artificial sponge, the voidsof which are preferably charged with the fertilizer substance IS.

The upper open end of the body member 24 is likewise closed by a cappingelement 28 formed to provide the desired reservoir-basin 29, from thebottom of which lead to the packed interior of the body member suitablydisposed communication openings 30.

In the use of the device, the pointed lower end of the same is presentedtoward the soil surface,adjacent to aplant desired to be served thereby,and is thereupon thrust downwardly into the soil and through the rootprocesses of the plant, leaving however the upper end of the device,which is equipped with the capping element, projecting slightly abovethe ground level of the soil. 1

When the device is thus in place, water is poured into the same tothoroughly saturate the absorbent packing material l5. When the packingmaterial becomes fully saturated, an excess of water will rise and standwithin the reservoir basin provided in connection with the cappingelement, thus providing a reserve supply of water adapted to replace themoisture drawn from the device and into the soil surrounding the plantroots. As moisture is emitted from the packing material and through thewall openings of the device a quantum of the soluble fertilizersubstance will be carried therewith to the plant roots, and consequentlynot only will the plant be irrigated in a practical manner, butfertilizer substance will be furnished without waste and only whenreadily accessible by the plant roots, thus assuring economical feedingof the plant as well.

From time to time the device and its reserve containing basin may bereplenished with water merely by pouring the same into the reservoirbasin without necessity for disturbing or removing the body member fromitsservlce position relative to the plant.

Should the fertilizer constituent become exhausted, the device may beremoved from service position and repacked with fresh fertilizer chargedabsorbent material, or the old material may be suitably reactivated withfertilizer substance.

It will be obvious that the device may be utilized so as to functionmerely as an irrigator, in which case the charges of fertilizersubstances may be omitted.

I am aware that various changes could be made in the above describedforms of the devices, and that apparently widely different embodimentsof this invention could be made without departing from the scopethereof. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the saidsupporting rod being embraced by the tapering walls of said body memberadjacent to the bottom apex of the latter.

2. A device for the purposes described, comprising a hollow conical bodymember having laterally spaced emission openings confined within thearea of approximately one-half of the circumferential extent of itswall, a packing of absorbent spongy material filling the interior ofsaid body and charged with a fertilizer constituannea ent, and a cappingelement to close the upper open end of said body member, said cappingelement being of a shape to provide an upwardly open reservoir basin thebottom wall of which is provided with perforations for communicationbetween the interior of said basin and the interior o f said bodymember.

3. A device for the purposes described, comprising a hollow conical bodymember having emission openings in its side wall, a. packing ofabsorbent. spongy material filling the interior of said body and chargedwith a fertilizer constituent, and a capping element to close the upperopen end of said body member, said cap-' between the interior of saidbasin and the interior of said body member, and a supporting rodextending axially upward from said body member to project through andfrom said capping element, the inner extremity of said supporting rodbeing embraced by the tapering walls of said' body member adjacent tothe bottom apex of the latter.

RUSSELL B. KINGMAN.

